First drive: 2015 Volkswagen Golf R

R is for Radical: Refreshed Golf R gets more power and remains a crisp, stealthy performer

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf R has a deliciously broad torque plateau — the 280 pound-feet is available anywhere between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm.

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

The Golf R's interior is typically Teutonic, but still a bit drab.

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf R's output has been bumped to 296 horsepower.

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R comes standard with all-wheel-drive.

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf R is an undercover sports car.

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

Graeme Fletcher, Driving

GENEVA — The Volkswagen Golf GTI is a revered ride in its own right, and it’s certainly one of the hottest hatches available. In 2015, however, it will have to take a back seat to its evil twin, the Golf R. It takes an already sweet package and amps every facet up to the point where there are, frankly, very few cars that come close to it from any standpoint.

Outwardly, there’s not a lot to tell the world that the R is so very different — the body kit and other styling cues are discrete. In fact, the R struck me as being quieter than the GTI. The quad tailpipes and smoked rear light lenses are the R’s biggest giveaways. As such, it’s a stealth machine that slides by all but unnoticed, which is always a good thing.

2015 Volkswagen Golf RGraeme Fletcher /
Driving

Peel the facade away and what comes to the surface is radically different. To begin with, VW’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four has been beefed up to the point where it now cranks out 296 horsepower. It also has a deliciously broad torque plateau — the 280 pound-feet is available anywhere between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm. Drive it hard, and it just comes back with more.

While there will a manual gearbox available, the better choice is the six-speed twin-clutch transmission. It delivers a crisper feel altogether. The run from rest to 100 kilometres an hour took 4.9 seconds (versus 5.3 for the manual) and it saw the R charge from 80 to 120 km/h in 3.9 seconds. Both are very quick times.

The R makes very good use of VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. Under light throttle conditions it drives the front wheels, however, it sends the power rearward as and when necessary, and it does so in a fast and seamless manner. Beyond that, the R features cross differential lock plus (XDS+). When the R is driven with the enthusiasm it begs, the system brakes the inside rear wheel heading into a corner, which tucks the car into it with more authority.

When compared to the regular Golf, the R sits 20 millimetres lower and it has a firmer suspension, better steering and a stability-control system that can be switched off. The beauty of the setup is body roll is effectively tamed without making the ride feel taut on a rougher road. The combination delivered rock-solid handling and let the large P225/40R18 tires provide the desired grip. I was mightily impressed by just how far the R could be pushed before it started to squirm.

The tester arrived with VW’s Driving Profile Selector. It allows the driver to tailor the R’s feel and feedback to suit the driver’s tastes. Eco maxes out economy and, as is usual, it’s too soft. Normal is the right setting for an urban environment. Race does exactly as promised — it cranks everything to hyper including the transmission and its rev-matching feature, throttle response, steering feel and it firms the adaptive dampers (part of the dynamic chassis control option), as well as altering how the active headlights behave and the air conditioning cycles. It also brought a purposeful exhaust tone that actively urged this driver onward. The fourth mode is Individual. It lets the driver to select Eco, Normal or Sport for each of the facets.

2015 Volkswagen Golf RGraeme Fletcher /
Driving

The instant the gridlock that defines the traffic in Geneva became a distant memory and the road started to twist towards the Swiss Alps, it was time to select Race and hang on — the Golf R felt as crisp as a new $100 bill in the manner in which it responded to input.

Inside, the flat-bottomed steering wheel, sport buckets and a few R badges are the key upgrades — the test car also counted the Nappa-carbon leather package. In all else, the Golf R is very familiar. The materials are soft to the touch and the driver’s environment is typically Teutonic. If there is a nit to pick, it is the cabin begs for a little more flair — the black-on-black finish is rather staid. Replacing the piano black trim pieces with some body-coloured inserts would make a huge difference.

That aside, the cabin is all business — the blue pointers in the gauge cluster are a nice touch. Then there’s the centrally mounted, touch-sensitive screen. It houses all of the infotainment, navigation, phone and set-up functions, and it has a neat party trick. The instant it senses a hand heading its way, the proximity sensor automatically switches the screen from its display mode to input mode. In the case of the navigation system, it brought up all of the route options and displayed the points of interest prominently. It’s a smart way of maximizing the information when it’s needed without leaving the screen littered with unwanted icons.

The Golf R’s interior is typically Teutonic, but still a bit drab.Graeme Fletcher /
Driving

The Golf R is a very serious sports car that will make its owners extremely happy. The ride quality and driving demeanour proved to be remarkably docile when tooling about town. However, finding some challenging roads and selecting Race transformed the R into a formidable driving machine — body roll was non-existent, the understeer I was expecting just did not surface and the beefed up brake package allowed the braking to be left to the last moment without leaving me with white knuckles. The fact all four wheels are driven sharpens things beautifully.

In short, it makes Audi Canada’s decision to ditch the A3 Sportback far less traumatic for we hot hatch devotees.